Night in Tunisia

The Ride II

For those of you who missed the first installation:
Check out the lead-up

And now...

Within seconds, the van spluttered its way to life and with groans from the engine we shimmied out of the warehouse and into the hazy, humid tunisian night. And the settling and the odd ride began.

Several things settle when you are crammed into a small space, in the heat, with coats and such. You don't. For the next hour and a half, I was seated forward, unable to fit my shoulders between the two first-commers. Within fifteen minutes I had begun to sweat, and so, apparently had the others. Each one had their own reason, but the result was a not-so-pleasent tangy aroma that quickly consumed the cab. Great, I thought. And then I heard my phone go off.

Slim sent me a lovely little message:
Remember, it's 7,100 dinars - and mind your wallet.

Hmm.

And then I noticed the fellow to my left rummaging around in his briefcase. Out came a small mp3 player, and a pair of headphones. He noticed me watching, and so, the polite canadian, I turned away to stare at the road a while. I felt a fumbling in around my ear - he was trying to offer me an earbud. I grinned, nodded my thanks and slipped it into place. Hygene was far from my mind on this trip - so it goes.

And I was listening to orchestral work some composer whose name starts with H. I think Haydn - beautiful, soaring orchestral work with the resonance of a resplendant concert hall, and a sharp contrast to the chaos and cramped world so very with us at that moment. I breathed in, someone up front had opened a window, and I could just make out the night air past the cigarette tang. I closed my eyes.

When I opened them, my new friend was looking at me in askance. I guess he didn't expect my reception. C'est magnifique, I informed him. Merci beaucoup! He smiled, then; he was content, I think, to have some of his own illusions about the youth of today broken. I listened for a half an hour or so, before I began to feel guilty for stealing his bubble. I returned his earpiece, thanked him again, and struggled to get at the player in my pocket. Cramped really seems insufficient.

And then on to Greenday's American Idiot. Ah. Appropriate, if not a little jarring. For anyone who hasn't heard the album, I thoroughly endorse it. The most complete that I've heard from them. For those who can't stand punk, or who think their punk is too tame, probably not worth the bother, eh?

And then I endured.

As for Sousse and the retreat, Tiara can chat about that if she likes, but I had a wonderful time. Sun, plus 30 weather, beach, ocean, club-med-style luxury - couldn't complain, and certainly won't start now.

Bye for today!

posted by Loren @ 4:09 p.m.